Need Help for a Surprise Disney Trip

[Disney"5"]

Please give me your ideas on how to surprise our kids for a return Disney visit. (Almost 13 year old, 8 year old, and 7 year old.) My oldest daughter wants to be surprised someday by us waking her up and saying, "Wake up, we're going to Disney, now!" We are thinking we will wait until the morning of, but want to drag out the surprise just a little. My husband doesn't want to pretend we are going somewhere else, and then let them figure it out during the trip. (We will be driving.) We both want to let them have a little bit of time to be excited before we get there, and we also want the kids to be able to pack up their special things for the trip. (Even though we will have all of the big packing done without them knowing.) I have thought of possibly dropping hints, like Mickey pancakes in the morning, and then following up with??? If we decide to do a scavenger hunt, does anyone have any ideas about how to do that, or what clues to give?
Thank for your ideas!

 

[Disney_Mama]

We did this a few years ago and decided not to tell the kids and let them figure it out along the way. We told them that we were driving to PA to visit friends. We live in Canada. When we crossed the border my DH whispered to the border guard that we were on our way to Portland Me to catch a flight to Orlando. My oldest DD heard and had this total look of confusion. There was no cheering and excitement. They were both sad that we were not going to visit our friends. Trust me.... Once we got there they were very very happy. But no Next time I think I'll start at least the day before

Maybe have them wake up the day of or the day before to a giant count down calender, with a fake number on the front like 50. Have them pull that number down to revel #1. Good luck with your surprise.

 

[SherylWrites]

I'm taking the day off work and packing everything for my two kids. Then as soon as school is out, they'll come home and we plan on telling them that we're going to my sister's who lives near the border for a few days. They can pack a few things for the two hour drive there in their knapsacks.
When we get there, at dinnertime, my sister will pull out a WDW postcard addressed to them that says "Surprise! You're going to Disney World tomorrow!". I have two little Disney briefcase like bags from the dollar store filled with gum, treats, spending money, a new Disney T-Shirt, etc. for them to open right after dinner.
It is KILLING me not to say anything and I've nearly slipped a hundred times!! lol But so far so good. 87 days to go!!!

 

[PrincessMom4]

We did the surprise thing last August (2007) where we said we were going to Watertown to go shopping. So the kids being kids didn't think anything of the stuff in the trunk. Well I went to our US mail box and we had got a wonderful postcard (thanks to some wonderful fairy godmailers on this list ) I gave the kids the postcard saying something to the effect that Mickey's wants them to come to see him. SURPRISE... my kids jumped out of their skins with joy. This year we got another great deal and are suprizing them again with a trip but we are doing a "treasure hunt". This time though my in-laws are coming so they will have the "treasure box" with something in it giving them clues or something. I have not worked out the super fine details. We have a pass to our local park/beach area and close to departure we are going to find a treasure map. My kids LOVES pirates so I thought what better way.

 

[gigi1313]

we did it and it was a great success for the most part (although ds said he would have liked to have helped plan some restaurants as i didn't have garden grill in our lineup and he was disappointed)...

we did a scavenger hunt w/little items like a camera, a small backpack, a new dvd/gameboy game, ending w/a small suitcase containing disney themed teeshirts and a sweatshirt (it was january) for each child that said "Destination Disney World" (i made all the tee shirts w/the help of the "creative DISigners" on the disboards)

 

[raraloveseeyore]

Sometimes the surprise backfires. I booked a trip for September of this year last September while we were in WDW. I didn't tell anyone but my dd because I wanted to surprise my dh. I made all my adrs and booked the MNSSHP. My dh moped around the house for months thinking that we weren't going to be able to go this year. Finally our dd told him the end of March and he got very angry with me that I let him go on so long without telling him. Believe me, I'll never try to surprise him again!

 

[lemondog]

We are surprising our kids next month. The trip is a gift for our oldest DD's 7th birthday. Still not sure HOW we're going to do it, but at her bday dinner on Thursday night we'll "give" her the gift, but we're not planning on leaving until the next night. That way I can pack without having to do it in hiding, and it will give them a whole day to drive me crazy!

I am thinking of maybe an invitation to dinner with Cinderella, since that is where her birthday dinner is going to be on Sat. night (her actual birthday). When she gets the invite it will say she is cordially invited to dinner with Cinderella and Prince Charming, yada yada yada and hopefully she will figure it out. Although we may do a scavenger hunt to lead her to the invitation.

The thing is...I am pretty sure her 4yo twin sisters are going to be more excited about this birthday gift than she herself is! She is really "over" the princess thing...more into Hannah Montana and that stuff now.

 

[gigi1313]

for the girl into hannah montana how 'bout an invite to visit DHS and dance w/the HSM gang instead?

 

[FOV]

We surprised our kids a few years ago for my sons 5th birthday. We told them we were going to the beach (to explain the bags in the back) and then we drove to the airport. The kids were so confused. We checked in for our flight and they were still confused. We finally revealed our plan to go to WDW. My 5 y/o was sad for the first hour because he was looking forward to the beach.

I never surprised them like that again - I think it was too much too soon. We have a trip planned for the end of the summer and we haven't decided when to tell them - but it won't be last minute.

 

[Disney"5"]

Thanks for all the responses so far. We did worry that if we told them we were going somewhere else, that they may be disappointed to find out we weren't really going there. I personally can't understand why, but who knows why kids think the way they do. We stopped at Clearwater Beach for a couple of days before our Disney trip last year, and when it was time to leave TO GO TO DISNEY, all 3 kids and my husband were sad to leave the beach.
We went to Disney with a group of 15 people last year, and this is the first time we've ever gone as a family without others. The kids have actually talked about us going, just the 5 of us, and always say they hope we can do it sometime. We usually go every 4 years, but since it will only be 1 year since we went, they aren't expecting this at all. They know that in 3 more years, when we are scheduled to go, that we will be going with a large group again. So....the first surprise is that we're going this year, and the 2nd is that we get to do it as a smaller group. We will get through everything so much faster than we are used to with only 5 people.
So, I'm still leaning towards a scavenger hunt the morning we leave. But still would like ideas of how to do that. I'm not very creative, and can't figure out how to write in out and present it to the kids. Thanks again for all the suggestions.

 

[ThruTheEyesOfMyChild]

Hi Disney "5".....I made this photo for my daughter and her friend to announce tot hem our upcoming trip. I will print it on an iron-on transfer and surprise them with t-shirts or even just print it regular photo size. I would be happy to create one for your children if you like. I would just need your favorite digital photo...preferably a "surprised" one...(maybe you can trick them into taking one)...I can whip one up in PhotoShop for you and email it back to you...just let me know.

 

[Disney"5"]

Hi Disney "5".....I made this photo for my daughter and her friend to announce tot hem our upcoming trip. I will print it on an iron-on transfer and surprise them with t-shirts or even just print it regular photo size. I would be happy to create one for your children if you like. I would just need your favorite digital photo...preferably a "surprised" one...(maybe you can trick them into taking one)...I can whip one up in PhotoShop for you and email it back to you...just let me know.

Thanks so much! I will look through my pictures and PM you when I find something. (Or when I get a picture taken.) It won't take much to get them to pose!

 

[Disney"5"]

Here is what I'm are thinking we may do. A scavenger hunt. Once we write the hints about where the next clue is, we are going to leave some item that pertains to either Disney or our hotel, Port Orleans Riverside. For example, the first clue will lead the kids somewhere in the house, and they will find something very difficult to connect to Disney, like a miniature alligator, for Alligator Bayou at POR. We have never stayed at this hotel, so they won't connect it at all. Then we will continue down the list with clues that gradually get more obvious, like Pixie Dust or a Ghiradelli candy bar, since we always visit there each time we go to Disney. We could finish off with a postcard from Mickey or I could use the picture that was offered to me by the previous poster. Our oldest will figure it out first, so we might tell the kids that once they think they know the "prize", not to say it out loud. We may have them write down what they think it is, and have a contest to see who figures it out first. (But they will have to keep their guess to themselves until the end.) We will have them write which clue they were at when they figured it out. My husband thinks this is all too complicated, and too hard to put together, but really, he doesn't have to do anything except go with us! I am the obsessive one that does all the planning. Does anyone have any ideas about how to make this better? Or less complicated, but still fun and not over TOO quickly?

 

[Samantha/NC]

We went last Thanksgiving and it was a total surprise for the kids. My sis and I have 6 kids between us
We cut out 6 big squares of posterboard and she wrote one letter on each to spell DISNEY (she used a red marker)-We gave them out randomly and told them that they had to put the red letters in order to figure out our family surprise---so they spelled out Disney and of course their next words were like ok WHEN and then we had them turn over the letters to the other side and we had spelled out the word TOMORROW on other side of the cards-oh yeah that is when the screaming and running around like Mickey on crack took place
This was the Friday night before Thanksgiving and we had just had our big Thanksgiving meal at home-our kids they are so clueless
we actually tolde them that their memaw would be out of town on Thanksgiving and we had to have Thanksgiving early! We did not lie--Memaw came with us!!!
Samantha

 

[PollyannaMom]

I'll have a go at the clue's. I don't know who's who, except your oldest is a girl, so I'm using another girl and a boy as examples, but change to names or whatever as necessary -


Go wake your sister, (glittery note - left by older DD's bed)
We have a surprise.
Tell her it's time
To open her eyes.

Now get your brother, (w/ alligator, left by younger DD's)
And show him this gator.
It's clue number one,
You'll find some more later.

All of you think about (w/a tube of sunscreen?, in son's room)
What this could mean.
But keep to yourself
Your guesses so keen.
You'll find the next clue
If you go get some food.
We hope that you're all
In a very good mood!

Ah, clue number three - (in fridge, on carton of Florida orange juice)
Where will it lead you now?
To use a new word,
What book shows you how?

One more place to run. (w/ candy bars, by your dictionary)
Help Mom dry your jeans.
Find a clue there,
And you'll know what this means.

Have you figured it out? (w/ stuffed Mickey on dryer, holding
Do you know what we're up to? "Come visit me today!" sign)
Whisper guesses to Mom,
And she'll finally tell you!
Then pack special things,
'Cause we're leaving at 1:00.
Get ready for great times,
The fun has begun!!!




alternate endings (as I don't really know what time you're leaving):

'Cause we're leaving at 10:00.
Get ready for great times,
As fast as you can!!!

'Cause we're leaving at 2:00.
Start planning the fun,
That's in store for you!!!

...you get the idea.


Have a great time!

 

[Disney"5"]

I like these ideas. It's just what I need, because I'm just not very good at creating ideas. I'm going to see how I can make some of these ideas work. And by the way PollyannaMom, it's exactly like you said; 2 older girls, and then a boy. Thanks!

 

[denegate]

This is a wonderful idea! Could you tell me how you do it? We are also surprising our children with a Disney Trip in December and it would be a great way to do it! I have plenty of digital photos of them.

 

[crock]

I don't know if this will help you or not..... My DS was 6 the year we surprised him, he had just started with early morning hockey games and practices (630am for some) so I decided that I was going to tell him he had a hockey tournament the weekend in question and because we would have to drive far we'd have to be up at 330. (we live in Canada and were flying with a 625am flight) I sent a note into school to his teacher and advised her of what I was doing and I met her to pick up homework the day before we left, she also sent a special note for him to read on the plane. My inlaws were driving us to the airport and had picked up the luggage the day before, they also attend games with us, so it was not a far stretch when they came to pick us up for the "game" instead of us driving in our own car. At 6 he didn't really care where the tournament was and didn't focus on directions etc. Prior to being dropped off, I said "oh, sorry I kinda fibbed about a hockey tournament, you don't have one." He was puzzled and a little dazed from being awake at such a crazy hour, and said, "WHAT? Why am I up so early then?" To which DH and I said, we though Disney might be more exciting then a hockey tournament!" He squeeled in delight and made me promise I wasn't telling another fib! He is 10 now (or will be in a week and a half) and we went again last year and are planning another trip in the fall, he still talks about the time he got the surprise of his life, but notes that I'll never get away with it again! I hope you could take something from my story and happy surprise!

 

[Disney"5"]

Still collecting ideas. Thought I would bump this up to help the other poster wanting to surprise their kids at Christmas.

 

[kiteri]

Okay... my surprise for my kids was months in the making.

I got a HUGE glass jar and stuck Disney stickers all over it. It was the "Disney jar". When the kids did chores, or were really nice to each other I would give them some change. The idea was that when the jar was full to the top, we would have enough money for Disney.

This let them watch the planning video, suggest restaurants to eat at etc. It didn't ruin the surprise when the post card came in the mail from our resort, or any of the other mail that came from Disney for that matter. I just blew it off as for the trip we were taking as soon as the jar was full.

We took the kids to Pittsburgh and spent the night in a park n fly hotel. We told them we just needed a weekend getaway. This helped explain the trunk with luggage in it (they just didn't get the fact that we didn't need all those bags for a weekend)

We had the empty glass jar in the trunk. While the kids were asleep, I snuck out and brought the jar into the hotel room. I put their boarding passes and some Disney dollars in the jar with a little glitter (aka pixiedust) and when they woke up, I told them Tink had visited and cashed in their coins for tickets to Disney!!!!!

Then I got to tell them that the plane left in two hours to go there.... GET DRESSED!!!!!

I am still trying to decide what we are going to do for the trip this January!